Poll: Opinions of Likely Voters Toward Clean Elections in Arizona

by Danny Hernandez141scon March 04, 2015

There is strong support for the Clean Election Act in Arizona.

Three-fourths of likely voters (76 percent) strongly favor (29 percent) or favor (47 percent) the program. Further, by a five-to-one margin (53 percent to 11 percent), voters would oppose rather than support a legislative candidate who they knew was trying to repeal the Clean Elections Act.

It is also important to note that support for Clean Elections cuts across all important demographic groupings. For instance, among those with an opinion, 89 percent of the Democrats, 82 percent of the independents and 81 percent of the Republicans support the program. People in their middle years and those with higher levels of education were most supportive. These are, of course, people who tend to vote most in elections.

The survey also found that voters support banning any gifts to elected and appointed public officials; that legislators should be prohibited from voting on legislation that would financially benefit themselves or family members; that Arizonans should have the right to know who is donating money to political campaigns; that voters don’t believe disclosure of who is funding commercials during elections is enough to reduce the influence of money; that campaign donors should provide the same proof of citizenship that voters must show; and that private donors to campaigns should be required to meet the same standards as Clean Elections donors.